BRINGING along a coffee to an interview or wearing bright red might help you land the job you want.

But displaying piercings, answering your mobile phone in the middle of an interview or poor grooming might hurt your chances, according to two managers from job seeking agencies.

Methods such as wearing bold colours or making a gesture to the employer such as bringing a coffee or doughnuts to the interview might work - but only if it was executed in the right way, said Craig Glover, assistant manager at Hervey Bay's Sarina Russo.

It also depended on the type of employment people were looking for, he said.

While showing up in boring or conservative attire might give the wrong impression if you were going after a flamboyant marketing position, bold clothing might work against you if the employment you were seeking was more conservative, such as a lawyer or doctor's office.

Patricia Nell, Fraser Coast business manager with Mission Australia, said she felt conservative attire was the name of the game.

"Most employers are conservative," she said.

"Go with conservative colours.

She said different jobs called for different clothing, with business attire often required when an applicant has an interview for a position in the retail or hospitality industry.

For someone looking for a job in labouring, she suggested a neat pair of jeans, a short sleeve business shirt and closed in, sensible shoes were a must for both men and women rather than thongs or sandals.

It didn't just come down to clothing though, with grooming also important.

Ms Nell said when interviewing for a position in hospitality, for example, it was often better if the applicant tied their hair back neatly to signal they knew that would be a requirement of the job.

While Mr Glover said bringing coffee to a job interview might require a bit of research into how someone took their coffee and could signal that you were going above and beyond for the employer.

But be sure to find out before hand, because bringing a cappuccino to a lactose intolerant employer might send the wrong message.

Ms Nell disagreed, saying: "I wouldn't recommend that at all."

Both agreed that a good attitude was the best thing a person could take with them to an interview.

Making good eye contact, a firm handshake and asking informed questions were also important.